Container closure

ABSTRACT

A description is given of a container closure for filling and emptying containers, in particular drum-like transporting containers, which can be inserted in an exchangeable manner into a container opening, which receives a plug head. The container closure has a riser tube, which is connected to the plug head, and a removal connection element, it being the case that the latter can be locked to the plug head by means of a stud coding system which has coding studs and matching coding recesses. According to the invention, the coding studs are provided on a first securing part and the coding recesses are provided on a second securing part. One of the securing parts is designed as an annular disc, which can separately be fitted loosely, such that it cannot slip off, onto the modular removal connection element. The other of the securing parts is integrated in the plug head. The container closure described avoids mix-up of chemicals, permits simultaneous liquid removal and ventilation, and, while complying with the regulations for licensing hazardous substances, can be connected to commercially available containers or drums.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The invention relates to a container closure for filling and emptyingcontainers that can be inserted in an exchangeable manner into acontainer opening. The container closure consists of a plug head with ariser tube and a removal connection element that can be locked to theplug head by means of a stud coding system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Container closures of this type are known. U.S. Pat. No. 4,699,298describes a connecting device for inserting tubes or pipes into the plugopening of a drum for the purpose of delivering liquid from the drum. Inorder to avoid contamination of the liquids which are to be deliveredfrom the drum, the connecting device has a mechanical stud coding systemwhich has protrusions and recesses, with the result that a certainremoval element can only be connected to the plug body when thecorresponding protrusions and recesses match one another in accordancewith the coding system. A coupling ring which engages on the outside isused for the screwed connection of the removal element, in which arespective part of the stud coding system is firmly integrated, i.e.forms a unit with the removal element. For different substances, whichrequire different stud coding systems in order to avoid theunintentional combination of systems which have already been used fordifferent liquids, the corresponding removal elements thus have to be ofcompletely different configurations. This renders such containerclosures relatively expensive, since they have to be produced more orless individually.

Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 3,913,608 discloses a container connectionelement which has a bayonet closure in order for it to be possible toremove a connection element quickly and easily from a connection stub ofa container and fit it thereon. There is no provision for any additionalmeans for securing against unintentional connection of an element whichhas already been used for a liquid other than that in the container.

German Patent 103116 discloses a drum closure which makes it possiblefor a drum to be filled or emptied under pressure without the assemblybeing tapped. Provided in the plug of the drum closure described is avalve arrangement, which can be opened and closed by there being screwedon a discharge connection stub which matches the plug and has pipesockets by means of which the valves are opened or, upon removal of thesame, closed again. A stud coding system for securing the connection ofa specific connection stub for a specific plug is not described.

Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 3,905,522 describes a liquid-discharge devicefor use with a connection cock or a connection element for liquidcontainers. This device has a plug head which bears an angled siphontube, which extends into the interior of a drum which is to be emptied,and on which a removal element, which is connected to correspondingliquid lines, may be connected on the outside of a drum by means ofscrew threads. The device does not have a stud coding system. The siphontube extends, at an angle with respect to the centre axis of the device,from the plug body into the drum, it being the case that the end of theadjoining siphon-tube piece, which is angled back again, is guided backas far as the imaginary centre axis of the device. The angling of thesiphon tube is intended to prevent the tube which remains in the drumfrom colliding with the drum-filling equipment or disrupting the fillingoperation.

The object of the invention is thus to provide a container closurewhich, so as to prevent mix-ups, can only be connected to definedcontainers, which is cost-effective to produce, whose riser tube isprotected against buckling upon insertion into the container andminimizes abrasion of the inside of the container, which ensuressimultaneous liquid removal and ventilation, and which is better suited,in particular, for chemicals.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The container closure according to the invention serves for filling andemptying containers. It can be inserted into a container opening, whichcan receive a plug head, so as to be exchangeable. The container closurehas a riser tube, which is connected to the plug head, and a removalconnection element, it being the case that, when the plug head has beenfitted in the container opening, the riser tube, which is connected tothe plug head, extends into the container usually as far as the base ofthe latter. The removal connection element can be locked to the plughead by means of a stud coding system, in a position which ispredetermined by the stud coding system, and is connected in a sealingmanner to the plug head by means of a coupling stopper. In a mannerknown per se, the stud coding system has coding studs and matchingcoding recesses. According to the invention, the coding studs areprovided on a first securing part and the coding recesses are providedon a second securing part, it being the case that one of the securingparts is designed as an annular disc, which can separately be fittedloosely onto the modular removal connection element such that it cannotreadily be removed again therefrom, i.e. such that it cannot slip off,and the other of the securing parts is integrated in the plug head.

This inventive container closure for the removal of liquid chemicalsfrom, in particular, drum-like transporting containers serves to avoidcontamination by external influences which have an adverse effect on thepurity of special liquid chemicals, e.g. high-purity chemicals formanufacturing electronic components. Such a removal system according tothe invention ensures that the high degrees of purity of the specialliquid chemicals mentioned remain intact even during removal operations.This is because, as a result of the special stud coding system, whichaccording to the invention is provided as a separate component for themodular removal connection element, on the one hand, for reasons ofsafety and contamination, the risk of chemicals being mixed up is ruledout and, on the other hand, in terms of construction and dimensions, theactual removal connection element is identical for a vast range ofdifferent chemicals, the only difference being that the actual studcoding system has to be designed specifically for the respectiveapplication case. This makes it possible for such removal systems, whichensure the removal of specific chemicals with minimized contamination,nevertheless to be produced cost-effectively.

According to a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention, theannular disc is designed as a studded disc, i.e. the coding studs areprovided thereon such that they engage in coding recesses which areprovided in the plug head and are distributed on the circumference ofthe latter in accordance with the arrangement of the studs. This meansthat the first securing part is designed in the form of the annular discand the second securing part is integrated in the plug head. Of course,it is also possible for the annular disc to be designed as a perforateddisc and for the plug head to have corresponding studs which, in alocking position, match the recesses in the annular disc. Such a studcoding system thus rules out any risk of mix-up upon connection tochemical supply systems.

According to a further preferred exemplary embodiment, the riser tube,which is connected to the plug head and extends into the interior of thecontainer, is provided with a folding-bellows section. The plug head,which bears the riser tube, has an external thread by means of which itcan be screwed into the drum-like transporting container, which likewisehas a matching thread. The riser tube, which may also be referred to asa submerged tube, may preferably be fitted onto a cylindrical, tubularsocket which extends into the interior of the container. In order, onthe one hand, to ensure reliable, complete emptying of the liquid fromthe container, the riser tube has to extend as far as the base, i.e. thelowermost point of the container. When the plug head is screwed into theopening of the container, the folding bellows ensures that the distancebetween the container base and the screwed-in plug head is covered asrequired. The folding bellows avoids the situation where riser tubesrupture under the action of pressure upon insertion of the plug headinto the opening of the container. Furthermore, the folding bellows ispreferably of such a flexibility that friction of the riser tube on thecontainer base or on the container wall is minimized to the extent whereno particles are abraded from the surface of the container base or ofthe riser tube. Consequently, the fitting of the riser tube inconjunction with the plug head, does not result in any contamination ofthe special high-purity chemicals located in the container.

According to a further preferred exemplary embodiment, the riser tubehas an opening funnel, which is oriented in the direction of the base ofthe container. Provided on the end side of said funnel arecircumferentially spaced-apart webs which leave an inflow cross-sectionwhen the opening funnel has been positioned on the container base, withthe result that the container can be emptied virtually completelywithout having to be tilted or upended. Moreover, the opening funnelensures uniform extraction of the chemicals located in the container.

Provided beneath the opening thread in the container opening, in thecase of the conventional containers, is a shoulder which serves thepurpose, in conjunction with an O-ring seal which is arranged on theplug head beneath the external thread and rests against a matingshoulder, of reliable sealing on the exterior of the plug head. An innersection of the plug head is provided with an internal thread in whichthe coupling stopper, which has an external thread and engages throughthe annular disc, can engage such that the removal connection elementand the plug head can be reliably connected to one another in a sealingmanner. The coupling stopper is arranged in a loosely displaceablemanner on a cylindrical section of the removal connection element, andthe annular disc is arranged displaceably and loosely on a cylindricalsection above the externally threaded section of the coupling stopper,said externally threaded section engaging through the annular disc.

According to a further preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention,the coding studs are designed as cylinder studs andcircular-ring-segment studs, which are in a mirror-inverted andcongruent arrangement with respect to the correspondingly formed codingrecesses arranged on the circumference of the plug head. Thecircular-ring-segment studs preferably also serve as arresting aids.

On its side which is directed towards the plug head, the removalconnection element preferably has a flange which bears a first O-ringfor sealing the removal connection element with respect to the plughead. Said O-ring is arranged on the flange such that in the bracedstate, i.e. in the state in which the coupling stopper has been screwedin a fixed and sealing manner into the sunken internally threadedsection of the plug head, the connection element is connected to theplug head in a sealing manner.

According to a further preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention,the removal connection element, which in addition to removing thechemicals from the container also serves to ventilate the latter, isprovided with a cylindrical tube section which projects into acylindrical plug-head part which bears the riser tube. This cylindricaltube section of the removal connection element has a smaller diameterthan the cylindrical part of the plug head and projects deeper into thecylindrical part of the plug head, when the removal connection elementhas been fitted, than a ventilation opening arranged in said cylindricalpart. Said cylindrical tube section also has a sealing ring which, whenthe removal connection element has been fitted, is located beneath theventilation opening in the cylindrical part of the plug head and hassuch an external diameter that, when the removal connection element hasbeen inserted into the plug head, said seal, which is preferablylikewise designed as an O-ring, effects a reliable sealing action in theinterior of the cylindrical part. Said second O-ring is preferably bornein a groove of the cylindrical tube section and, inter alia, for thepurpose of improving the sealing action when the removal connectionelement has been fitted and secured by means of the coupling stopper, isseated on a reduced-diameter section in the interior of the cylindricalpart of the plug head, which is bounded by an annular shoulder beneaththe ventilation opening. The second O-ring rests in a sealing manner insaid section.

This creates a venting channel from the ventilation opening into theremoval connection element. In order to route ventilation outwards, byway of the removal connection element, to a ventilation opening, thecylindrical section is extended into the removal connection element and,between its outer surface and the inner surface of the removalconnection element, forms a space which leads into the ventilationconnection line provided on said removal connection element. Thecontainer closure according to the present invention thus permitssimultaneous liquid removal and ventilation.

According to yet another preferred exemplary embodiment, the plug headalso has a threaded section which differs from the sunken internallythreaded section for the coupling stopper and into which a threadedstopper can be screwed for the purpose of sealing the open plug headwhen the removal connection element has been removed. However, it isalso possible, for the purpose of reliably closing off the plug head ina sealing manner, for the threaded stopper to be fitted into the sunkeninternally threaded section provided for the coupling stopper.

The container closure is preferably produced from inert plastic, i.e. aplastic which is not attacked by the chemicals with which the containerclosure comes into contact.

Other objectives, features and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following detailed description. The detaileddescription, while indicating specific embodiments of the invention, areprovided by way of illustration only. Accordingly, the present inventionalso includes those various changes and modifications within the spiritand scope of the invention that may become apparent to those skilled inthe art from this detailed description.

Further advantages, features and possible applications of the inventionwill now be explained in more detail with reference to an exemplaryembodiment in conjunction with the attached drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a fitted container closure according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a plug head with riser tube and threaded stopper, theremoval connection element according to the invention having beenremoved;

FIG. 3 shows the plan view of a studded disc according to the invention;and

FIG. 4 shows a lateral sectional view of the studded disc according toFIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows the container closure according to the invention in thefitted state. For the sake of simplicity, the container has been leftout. In the fitted state, the container closure is in its removal state.A plug head 1, which is seated in a container opening, is provided withcoding recesses 5.

These coding recesses 5 are made as cylindrical recesses 5′ andcircle-segment-shaped recesses 5″ at defined, i.e. coded, intervals onthe circumference of the outwardly oriented end surface of the plug head1.

The removal connection element 3 has a cylindrical section, on which acoupling stopper 6 is arranged in a displaceable manner. This couplingstopper 6 has a threaded section 11, which matches the internallythreaded section 12 which is sunken in the plug head 1, with the resultthat, for the purpose of fastening the removal connection element 3 inthe plug head 1, the coupling stopper 6 can be screwed into the sunkeninternally threaded section 12. The head of the coupling stopper 6 is offlange-like design and supports an annular disc 7 with the inner endsurface of a flange. The annular disc 7 is arranged loosely anddisplaceably on a thread-free section of the coupling stopper 6, thethreaded section 11 engaging centrally through the annular disc 7. Theannular disc 7 has coding studs 4, with the result that the annular disc7 is designed as a studded disc. The coding studs 4 of the studded discare arranged such that they are in a mirror-inverted and congruentarrangement on that surface of the annular disc 7 which is directedtowards the outwardly oriented end surface of the plug head 1, and matchthe coding recesses 5. Accordingly, the coding studs 4 are designed ascylindrical studs 4′ and circular-ring-segment studs 4″ (FIGS. 3 and 4).

The coupling stopper 6, which bears the studded disc, is secured on thecylindrical part of the removal connection element 3 such that it cannotslip off, with the result that, once it has been fitted on saidcylindrical part of the removal connection element 3, which is otherwiseof identical design for different chemicals, said coupling stoppercannot readily be removed therefrom.

If the removal connection element 3 is to be connected to the plug head1, in which case, in accordance with the stud coding system, only acoded arrangement of cylindrical and circular-ring-segment studs matchesthe correspondingly formed recesses, then the first step is for theremoval connection element to be fitted, by way of its cylindrical tubesection 16, into the plug head 1, as far as the region of thecylindrical part 15 of said plug head 1. Thereafter, the studded disc 7is rotated such that its coding studs 4 match the corresponding codingrecesses 5 and these studs are inserted into these coding recesses untilthe studded disc 7 rests on the outer end surface of the plug head 1.After this, the coupling stopper 6, which engages through the centralregion of the studded disc 7 by way of its threaded section 11, isscrewed into the sunken internally threaded section 12 of the plug head1 until the removal connection element 3 is fixedly connected to theplug head 1. In order to prevent the coupling stopper 6 with the studdeddisc 7 from being removed from the cylindrical part of the removalconnection element, the latter has a stop flange 13 at the end of thecylindrical section. Provided on the end side of said stop flange 13 isa first O-ring 14, which is arranged in a groove and, in the fittedstate, provides for sealing of the removal connection element 3 in theplug head 1. In this case, said first O-ring 14 rests on a shoulderwhich is arranged in the interior of the plug head 1 at the end of thesunken internally threaded section 12.

The plug head 1 has a cylindrical part 15 which is oriented in thedirection of the container interior. A ventilation opening 17 isprovided in said cylindrical part. The internal diameter of saidcylindrical part 15 of the plug head 1 is greater than the externaldiameter of the cylindrical tube section 16 of the removal connectionelement 3, there being arranged beneath the ventilation opening 17 anannular shoulder 19, from which the internal diameter of the cylindricalpart 15 of the plug head 1 decreases. Even this reduced-diameter sectionbeneath the annular shoulder 19 in the cylindrical part 15 of the plughead 1 is greater, in terms of its internal diameter, than the externaldiameter of the cylindrical tube section 16 of the removal connectionelement 3. Provided at one point of the cylindrical tube section 16 ofthe removal connection element 3, which, in the fitted state of theremoval connection element 3, is located in the cylindrical part 15 ofthe plug head 1 beneath the ventilation opening 17, is a second O-ring18, which is provided in a groove and seals a space, for ventilation andventing purposes, in the downward direction into the riser tube 2, saidspace being provided between the inner surface of the cylindrical part15 of the plug head and the outer surface of the cylindrical tubesection 16 of the removal connection element 3.

Said cylindrical tube section 16 of the removal connection element 3 isrouted upwards, far into the interior of the removal connection element3, in the form of a cylindrical annular gap according to FIG. 1, to beprecise into a region of the removal connection element 3 which isthickened and at which venting valves or lines, via which thecorresponding ventilation takes place, can be screwed into a connectionstub 20.

A riser tube 2 is pushed rigidly onto the cylindrical part 15 of theplug head 1, said cylindrical part extending into the container, withthe result that the riser tube is retained by said cylindrical part 15.Arranged at the bottom end of the riser tube 2 is an opening funnel 9which, when the plug head 1 has been inserted, is seated on thecontainer base. On its end surface which is directed towards thecontainer base, the opening funnel has circumferentially spaced-apartwebs 10 which ensure that a sufficient flow cross-section is providedbetween the container base and the webs 10 when the opening funnel 9 ofthe riser tube 2 has been seated on the container base. The webs 10further ensure that, when the plug head 1 is screwed into the containeropening, as little material of the opening funnel 9 as possible comesinto frictional contact with the container base or with the containerwall, with the result that the quantity of possibly abraded particles isminimized or avoided completely.

A section which is designed as a folding bellows 8 is located in theregion between the top part of the riser tube 2, said top part beingseated on the cylindrical part of the plug head 1, and the openingfunnel 9 of said riser tube. This folding bellows 8 can compensate forseveral centimetres in the longitudinal direction in order to coverdifferent distances between a base or a wall of a container and the plughead 1, which is located opposite and has been screwed into a containeropening. This also makes it possible to use one and the same containerclosure for different container dimensions and types of container.Furthermore, the folding bellows 8 serves for compensating for anyslopes in the container base or the container wall on which the openingfunnel 9 is seated, without there being any possibility of the risertube 2 buckling when the plug head 1 is inserted into the opening of thecontainer.

FIG. 2 illustrates a plug head 1, which bears the riser tube 2, it beingthe case, in this illustration, that the removal connection element 3has not been inserted. Rather, a threaded stopper 22 has been insertedinto the plug head 1 in its place. The threaded stopper 22 can bescrewed in a sealing manner into a threaded section of the plug head 1which is offset inwards in relation to the sunken internally threadedsection 12, which receives the coupling stopper 6. The containers eithermay be provided with a conventional closure or may have already beenequipped with such a plug head which, in the delivery state, bears thethreaded stopper 22 for closure purposes. This ensures that just onecoding stud arrangement, which matches the spacings and formspredetermined by the coding recesses 5 in the plug head 1, and thus aspecific removal connection element 3, fits. Consequently, thepredetermined stud coding system rules out any mix-up of chemicals.

The point on the cylindrical part 15 at which the ventilation opening 17is arranged can also be seen from FIG. 2. Arranged beneath theventilation opening 17 is the annular shoulder 19, from the bottom ofwhich, in the direction of the riser tube 2, the reduced-diametersection of the cylindrical part 15 of the plug head 1 is provided.

The annular disc 7, which is designed as a studded disc, is illustratedin FIG. 3. Cylindrical studs 4′ and circular-ring-segment studs 4″ arespaced apart circumferentially on that end side of the annular discwhich, in the fitted state, is directed towards the coding recesses 5 inthe plug head 1. A variation in spacings and in the form of the studs,which may also be of, for example, rectangular or triangularcross-section, can provide any number of stud coding systems, whichensures that it is only possible for the coding stud arrangements andforms which match predetermined recesses 5 in the plug head 1 to be usedand thus the associated removal connection element to be connected.

In order that, when the removal connection element 3 is fitted in theplug head 1, the correct positioning of the studded disc 7 in relationto the recesses located in the plug head 1 can be identified andimplemented quickly, the studded disc 7 has a marking slit arranged onthe circumference. The outwardly projecting, tooth-like extensions servefor bringing the studded disc into the necessary coding position.

FIG. 4 illustrates a lateral sectional view of the studded discaccording to FIG. 3. In this illustration, a cylindrical coding stud 4′and a circular-ring-segment coding stud 4″ have been inserted into thedisc or provided thereon. Said coding studs may either be attached usingconventional, known adhesive-bonding methods or be inserted intoappropriately prepared openings and likewise fastened to the studdeddisc by adhesive bonding.

The container closure according to the invention, in conjunction withthe stud coding system, thus rules out any mix-up of chemicals and,consequently, any contamination of high-purity chemicals. Furthermore,the container closure according to the invention permits simultaneousliquid removal and ventilation of the container, in order that theliquid can be removed without difficulty. Moreover, the containerclosure according to the invention is constructed such that the couplingstopper described means that liquid lines and ventilation lines do nothave to be separated when the removal connection element is connected tothe plug head or removed therefrom. Since the plug head is adapted tocommercially available drum threads, in particular, it is also possiblefor the container closure according to the invention to be used incommercially available containers, in particular drums. Furthermore, thedesign according to the invention means that the container closureaccording to the invention satisfies the requirements for the existinglicensing of hazardous substances. The inventive configuration of thecontainer closure in conjunction with the riser tube ensures a highthroughflow rate, of at least 20 1/min, of liquid which is to be removedfrom the container.

What is claimed is:
 1. A container closure which receives a plug head(1) and connected thereto a riser tube (2), and a removal connectionelement (3) that locks into plug head (1) via a stud coding system(4,5), the stud coding system consisting of: (a) coding studs (4)comprising cylinder studs (4′) and circular-ring-segment studs (4″), and(b) coding recesses (5), comprising cylinder recesses (5′), shaped tocorresponded to cylinder studs (4′), and circular-ring-segment recesses(5″), shaped to correspond to circular-ring-segment studs (4″), whereincoding recesses (5′, 5″) are arranged on the circumference of plug head(1) and studs (4) are placed in a mirror-inverted arrangement withrespect to the correspondingly formed recesses (5).
 2. The containerclosure of claim 1, wherein said coding studs (4) are provided on afirst securing part (4,7) and said coding recesses (5) are provided on asecond securing part(1, 5).
 3. The container closure of claim 2, whereinone of said securing parts is designed as an annular disc (7).
 4. Thecontainer closure of claim 3, wherein said securing part is fittedloosely onto said removal connection element (3) such that it cannotslip off.
 5. The container closure of claim 2, wherein the othersecuring part is integrated in said plug head (1).
 6. A containerclosure which receives a plug head (1) and connected thereto a risertube (2), and a removal connection element (3), said removal connectionelement (3) containing additionally a cylindrical tube section (16) thatprojects into a cylindrical part (15) of plug head (1) with sufficientdepth upon assembly to effect sealing between ventilation opening (17)and cylindrical part (15) with seal (18).
 7. The container closure ofclaim 6, wherein said seal (18) has a second O-ring which is borne in agroove of said cylindrical tube section (16).
 8. The container closureof claim 7, wherein said cylindrical tube section (16) is extended intosaid removal connection element (3) and forms a space (21) between theouter surface and the inner surface of the removal connection element(3), which leads to a ventilation connection line (20) provided on saidremoval connection element.
 9. The container closure of claim 7, whereinsaid O-ring rests in a sealing manner in a reduced-diameter region ofthe cylindrical part (15) of the plug head (7) when said removalconnection element (3) has been fitted.
 10. A container closure whichreceives a plug head (1) and connected thereto a riser tube (2), and aremoval connection element (3), wherein riser tube (2) has an openingfunnel (9), the end side of said opening funnel (9) being provided withspaced-apart webs (10).
 11. The container closure of claim 10, whereinsaid webs (10) leave an inflow cross-section when the opening funnel (9)has been positioned on a container base.